Hellhammer Dirk H, Wüst Stefan, Kudielka Brigitte M
Psychology, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany.
Psychology, Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany; Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Feb;34(2):163-171. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.10.026. Epub 2008 Dec 18.
Salivary cortisol is frequently used as a biomarker of psychological stress. However, psychobiological mechanisms, which trigger the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) can only indirectly be assessed by salivary cortisol measures. The different instances that control HPAA reactivity (hippocampus, hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenals) and their respective modulators, receptors, or binding proteins, may all affect salivary cortisol measures. Thus, a linear relationship with measures of plasma ACTH and cortisol in blood or urine does not necessarily exist. This is particularly true under response conditions. The present paper addresses several psychological and biological variables, which may account for such dissociations, and aims to help researchers to rate the validity and psychobiological significance of salivary cortisol as an HPAA biomarker of stress in their experiments.
唾液皮质醇常被用作心理压力的生物标志物。然而，触发下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺轴（HPAA）的心理生物学机制只能通过唾液皮质醇测量进行间接评估。控制HPAA反应性的不同部位（海马体、下丘脑、垂体、肾上腺）及其各自的调节因子、受体或结合蛋白，都可能影响唾液皮质醇测量。因此，与血液或尿液中血浆促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）和皮质醇测量值不一定存在线性关系。在应激反应条件下尤其如此。本文探讨了几个可能导致这种解离的心理和生物学变量，旨在帮助研究人员在其实验中评估唾液皮质醇作为应激的HPAA生物标志物的有效性和心理生物学意义。
